Chapter 1

Fog swirled around her feet, the column before her stealing Hermione's focus. Platform 9 ¾. Why was she returning? Why did she let Ginny convince her this would help? All that place did was remind her that she hadn't been enough for Draco to choose the right side.

Hermione shook her head quickly to rid it of the thought. No. She was returning because education had been and always would be her lifeline. It had never been him.

"Never Draco," she muttered, hoping that by speaking the lie it would come true.

Setting her chin high and back straight, she stalked through the column, pulling a suitcase behind her. Her trunk had already been sent ahead so she only had the clothes she had brought to the Weasley's.

The twins had been fascinated by a trunk with wheels. She had laughed at their immediate plan to make one that rolls on its own. ("With wings!" as Fred had so 'brilliantly' suggested.)

Making her way on to the train, she hurried to the back car saved for the few returning 8th years. A part of her wished Harry and Ron were with her. She craved some familiarity to settle her nerves. But they were gone, Harry to the ministry as the new poster boy Auror and Ron to the joke shop. ("Aw 'Mione, why get a ministry job when I got the twins?" had been his reasoning.)

"Are you alright Hermione? The Dabberblimps seem to be swarming you today." An airy voice drifted from the open cabin next to her. Hermione turned, a smile already forming.

"Luna," she quirked an eyebrow, "Should I be worried about Dapperblimps?"

The dreamy eyed girl waved her hand in dismissal.

"Dabberblimps. They won't hurt you, but they're attracted to indecision and heartache. Draco has them too."

Hermione choked and broke into a coughing fit at Luna's casual name drop. Looking into the cabin she found a white-blond head trying and failing to melt into the corner seat. Any other time, she would have laughed at his awkwardness. But instead she felt anger.

"Luna, you should be more careful. Surely there are other cabins open. Come on, we'll find them." Hermione practically growled and she saw Dra- Malfoy flinch. Good.

Luna cocked her head in confusion, "Why would I want to leave my friend?"

A part of Hermione died upon hearing that. She knew it was irrational, but she felt a pang of jealousy at her friend's words.

"I see." She replied testily. "Well I wouldn't want to intrude. I'll go find the others."

"There aren't any." Was the cheerful reply.

"What? It's just us?" Hermione was shocked. Surely Head Mistress McGonagall managed to recruit more than three students from their year.

Luna nodded, still smiling. "Neville's here as well, but he's helping Professor Sprout as an assistant. Everyone else needed a year for family I suppose. Well except for us…"

She trailed off, her smile flickering only for a moment. Hermione flinched at the reminder that she and Luna had no one left thanks to the war. From the corner of her eye she saw Dra- Malfoy sink lower and she knew he was thinking of their last conversation.

Immediately her brain replayed their fight.

It had been right before Christmas of their Sixth year. He had been avoiding her for a month and Harry's suspicions were starting to seem more and more possible.

Finally cornering him in the owlery one morning, she begged for the truth.

"Draco, just tell me what's going on! I can help you." She was near tears.

"No one can help me, Granger." Her bit out the sentence and she flinched at the use of her last name.

"Just please give me the truth. I know Harry can't be right." She stared into his eyes looking for the boy and best friend she knew. She found nothing.

Instead she just had confirmation. A gasp was ripped from her mouth as she realized that Harry was right. Tears began to spill down her cheek.

Draco immediately stepped forward, habit driving him to reach out and almost brush the tears away. But he froze before dropping hand.

"Hermione," he struggled to whisper her name, "I wish I could fight this war alone just to prove to you that you can be proud of me, but I am not as strong as you think I am. I have to do this. He'll…" He started to get more choked up, "He'll kill my parents if I don't. I can't let him. I can't."

She stumbled away from him. He knew her plans to wipe her parents' memories in a few months, to leave her own family behind for the greater good, to stand for what's right. She could leave her life behind, why couldn't he?

"I-I don't know you anymore." She whispered, continuing to back up towards the stairs. He went to reach for her again but thought better of it.

"Maybe you never did." It was enough to send her running down the stairs and away from him.

Hermione snapped from the memory and realized that she had somehow found her way into sitting in the cabin next to Luna, and across from him.

No matter what though, she couldn't let him ruin her chance for a fresh start. Hogwarts was the only home she had left.

Huffing, she turned to Luna. "So other than Neville assistant teaching, who else is back or new?"

She noticed from the corner of her eye that Malfoy was listening but staring intently into the corner as well. It was his go to defense mechanism: act like he didn't care while observing everything around him.

"Oh, well you remember Blaise, he's assisting the new DADA professor. And Pansy-"

Hermione cut Luna off abruptly in shock.

"The Head Mistress allowed Zabini and Parkinson back?" She hissed.

Immediately, Malfoy sat up and displayed his trademark glare and sneer.

"Watch how you speak about my friends, Granger." His tone was dangerously close to starting a fight. She glared back at him.

"And what do you know about friendship, Malfoy?" She snarled back.

His face paled and hurt flashed in his eyes but she felt no remorse. He deserved to feel the pain she'd felt for the last year.

Malfoy's emotionless mask slid back into place. He turned to look at Luna, "I'll see you at school."

With that, he stood and stalked out of the cabin.

Luna waved goodbye before launching into a story about nargles. Hermione pretended to listen all the while trying to convince herself that she wasn't jealous. She didn't miss him. She didn't need him.

Right?